Brammo Owners Forum

As I reported in my write-up from Miller, I half-way converted my 2014 street Empulse R to an eSuperSport race bike when my HVR bike broke in Race 1.  When I got the bike back to the shop, the prudent and logical thing would have been to convert it back for street duty, especially because I won't be attending Barber.    Being neither prudent or logical, however, I decided to keep going with the conversion from street bike to eSuperSport racer... 

Here's a couple of photos of the work in progress... 

Original Bike:


"White Noise" in process:




So far, I've lightened up the wheelset by using a 4.5" Aluminum Marchesini rear wheel we had from the Isle of Man program in 2009 and a front wheel from the new Victory Empulse TT.  I'm still planning on running a single caliper and disc on the front based on the performance at Miller and the weight savings (roughly 5lbs). 

I've also removed the on-board charger underneath the seat, which pulls 12.3 lbs out of the bike.  It's not a simple task as you end up having to remove the entire seat subframe, but the weight savings is significant.  I've left the main terminals for the B+/B- connection hanging out of what used to be the charge port, and it's my plan to charge with an off-board Manzanita Micro PFC-40.  I haven't actually done this yet, so I'll report back on how well (or IF) that works out.



I'll post some progress photos as I have time.  I'm hoping to get down around 420lbs for the complete bike without resorting to anything a "normal" racer wouldn't be willing to do with their bike. 

I've been hoping to start this thread for awhile, but just now getting around to it.  I think it would be awesome to have a place where those that attend track days or races with their bikes can provide tips or talk about issues they've encountered so we don't all have to learn the same lessons over and over.  It would also help others understand what they're getting themselves into above and beyond taking a "normal" bike to the track.



We've certainly learned a lot through the racing program about not only the bikes, but also how to manage the environment to ensure a better experience when at the track.  I'm sure others have insights they can offer as well.  Here's a start from me:

TIP #1
Get a Level 2 charging cordset.  The Level 1 EVSE isn’t going to cut it when you’re discharging your bike at a much higher rate then you’ll ever see riding on the street.  It’s typical for us to see nearly 1kWh of energy consumed per lap at race pace!  Here’s the one we use on the race team:

http://www.clippercreek.com/store/product/charging-station-lcs-25p-nema-l6-30-2/

The one in the link above comes pre-wired with a NEMA L6-30 style plug, which is common on larger generators that supply a 220Vac outlet.  You can also purchase the EVSE with a NEMA 14-30 style plug, 50A plug (although you won’t make use of the 50A), or no plug at all (hardwire option).  You’ll need to become an infrastructure expert for the track you’re headed to in order to determine what option is best for that venue.  Most tracks have at least the 220VAC/30A service available for RVs and Motorhomes.

At Level 2, you’ll cut your charging time in half or better, and will most likely be able to run a full day of 10-20 minute sessions going off every hour.  You’ll usually end up with a little extra time over the lunch hour to get the charge back up as well.



TIP #2
Get some shade.  The photo above is a bad example as the bike is charging in full exposure of the sun at a hot California track (Thunderhill Raceway).  You’re going to be asking a lot of the battery system, which relies on passive, conductive cooling through the finned battery enclosure to dissipate heat.  The thermal mass of the battery also means that they take a while to heat up (good thing) AND cool down (bad thing).  If your batteries are above 45C, they will also limit the charge current to less than the maximum rate, extending your charge time.  A 10’x 10’ pop-up awning will usually do the trick to keep the bike and rider considerably cooler on a hot day. 



It’s also a good idea to have a high speed shop fan available to move air across the heat sink of the battery enclosures (i.e. the side of the bike) as this will help cool the batteries when the bike is stationary while charging.  I picked up a shop floor fan like this one on special at Home Depot:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lasko-20-in-High-Velocity-Floor-or-Wall-Mount-Fan-in-Black-2264QM/203067767

I’ve got about a billion other tips that come to mind, so I’ll try to add them one by one or a couple at a time.  Hopefully Jeff, Arthur, Bob, and others will add their insights as well…

Ok... first couple of mods underway.  Just thought I'd share.

Rizoma sport aluminum tapered handlebar.  The position is just right for the Empulse and the stock 2014 bar clamps accept the larger diameter bar without needing to use the kit parts I needed for the 2013 bike.

Upgraded to Magura 195 radial master cylinders for brake and clutch.  I love the look and feel of a good radial lever and I especially like the reach adjustability and feel of these levers. 





Next up - Competition Werkes tail tidy kit, Rizoma (or similar) LED turnsignals, some red accents to match my seat! 

Wow! What a great weekend of racing with the AHRMA and eMotoRacing crew! We've done a lot of racing over the past several years and I must admit that this was one of the most fun couple of days of racing we've had.  It was awesome to watch 6 electric bikes (5 Brammo Empulses, 1 Zero S) battle with each other and the gas bikes throughout the race.

Here's a great on-board video of Friday's race from Ricky Orlando's Empulse R:



Shelina Moreda rode my personal Empulse R (with her signature pink body panels) to a hard fought 3rd place finish on Friday.  This was a great "shake down" and inaugural race for the bike as I've sold it to a racer in Florida who intends to race it with AHRMA beginning with one of the next couple of races.  I'll see if I can convince him to contribute here.  Shelina ran a 2:05.7 lap in the race on a nearly stock production bike and Ricky Orlando managed a 2:06.3 on lap 6. Very impressive and competitive! 



The 650+ ft-lbs of rear wheel torque of the Empulse R in 1st gear is a valuable weapon in an 8-lap "sprint" race coming off the start line! 



Eric ended the 2 day event with 2 wins after clearing off at the front on our factory TTX bike.   He also managed to finish 5th overall on Thursday and 4th on Friday among the 19 bikes on the grid, racing with Sound of Thunder twins and Next Gen Superbikes. His consistent laps of 1:57.9 - 1:59.06 on Friday would have had him challenging (or at least closely tailing) Steve Atlas for the win here on the RR prototype back in 2011. Note the new tail section on the bike - mostly designed to provide a more solid surface to transmit feedback so that Eric could "feel" what the rear tire was doing.  Eric reports that the TTX is now at its best from a performance, balance, and overall riding enjoyment perspective. 





Eric had a lonely race, but the gap gave him the clear track needed to focus on his riding and what the bike was doing well (Eric said it was magical through the long left hand "carousel") and what needed further improvement for the future. 





We ran the TTX in a special Spec32 livery for Eric at this race as he also picked up his very own production Spec32 bike for riding around LA.  More on that to follow.  Also... Icon's cooked up some new liveries for the bikes, so expect to see this bike in new colors soon.  I think the new designs are the best yet!  Stay tuned. 

I'm happy to report that there's a new tail tidy / fender eliminator coming very shortly from Competition Werkes, who are (conveniently) also located in Southern Oregon. 

http://www.competitionwerkes.com/

These will available through the dealers or from Competition Werkes directly from their website.  Looks great in person!





Givi bags AND fender eliminator in the same day! Could it get any better?!

I think I posted this awhile ago, so just posting again to keep our new owners informed.

The brake and clutch master cylinders on the Empulse and Empulse R are compatible with model year 2008+ Ducati Monster 696 adjustable levers.  For CRG RC2s, the part numbers from the Parts Unlimited catalog are:

0613-0706 for the clutch lever in black
0614-0585 for the brake lever in black

Nearly any motorcycle dealer (not just Brammo dealers) could order these parts with these part numbers. 

One of our friends in Portland is selling one of 2 Empulse R's to help pay for some machining equipment. 

Anybody got a friend looking to join the club?  Pretty good deal for a low miles bike!

http://portland.craigslist.org/grg/mcy/4295054835.html

As we look towards 2014, we are faced with a dilemma - Should we commit to a FIM eRR series that will be predominantly run in Europe and Asia?  Should we continue racing in AFM with the gas bikes?  Should we cherry pick big events like the Isle of Man TT and Pikes Peak?  Or... should we give up on racing as a waste of precious resources? 

I'm curious to know your thoughts as the forum members make up a considerable portion of our small, but fervent fan base.  Thank you in advance for your responses!